variants
or less commonly roleplay
role-played also roleplayed; role-playing also roleplaying; role-plays also roleplays
1
: to act out the role of
2
: to represent in action
students were asked to role-play the thoughts and feelings of each character—
R. G. Lambert
R. G. Lambert
: to play a role
role-play
noun
or less commonly roleplay
plural role-plays also roleplays
I practice this with student social workers through case studies and role-play.
—Kevin Brazant, quoted in psychologytoday.com
Kevin Brazant, quoted in psychologytoday.com
Examples of role-play in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What started out as a Nintendo 3DS title with basic graphics has transformed into an impressive Japanese role-playing game series, with the latest entry taking another step on the latest consoles.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2025
The fun begins as the other housewives arrive, unaware that the studio has decided to stage a role-playing scenario to test their readiness.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
Each of the academy’s six weekly meetings prioritized group interactions, role-play, and continued learning.
—Ryan Stowers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The writing appears to be a reference to a meme about the online furry subculture and online role-play, said Jamie Cohen, an assistant professor of media studies at Queens College who researches memes.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for role-play
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Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2025
The fun begins as the other housewives arrive, unaware that the studio has decided to stage a role-playing scenario to test their readiness.
—Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
Each of the academy’s six weekly meetings prioritized group interactions, role-play, and continued learning.
—Ryan Stowers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The writing appears to be a reference to a meme about the online furry subculture and online role-play, said Jamie Cohen, an assistant professor of media studies at Queens College who researches memes.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for role-play
Cite this Entry
“Role-play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/role-play. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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